BookCrossing
Just went to a fascinating talk at the Literacy Research Discussion Group on BookCrossing by Steve Lucas and Lynn Moores. This is a terrific international system of passing books between bibliophiles completely free of charge. I tested the system immediately by registering - which was easy - 'catching' a book and registering a journal entry to it for the site.
I particularly enjoyed Steve's tales about books' trajectories around the world and also the 'themed releases' such as the copy of Eats Shoots & Leaves that was left beside a salad bar in a supermarket and Holes left above a compressor in some roadworks. Wonderful also to hear about people hiking up mountains to 'catch' a book.
Lynn made a very powerful argument for the site as a cross-over for connections among book lovers both online and offline and demonstrated what wonderful work the library service has done in Oxfordshire with books that might otherwise have been pulped.
Julia
I particularly enjoyed Steve's tales about books' trajectories around the world and also the 'themed releases' such as the copy of Eats Shoots & Leaves that was left beside a salad bar in a supermarket and Holes left above a compressor in some roadworks. Wonderful also to hear about people hiking up mountains to 'catch' a book.
Lynn made a very powerful argument for the site as a cross-over for connections among book lovers both online and offline and demonstrated what wonderful work the library service has done in Oxfordshire with books that might otherwise have been pulped.
Julia
posted by LRC at
06:25
3 Comments:
DB adds: The book I left downstairs half an hour ago has already been taken - how exciting!
By
LRC, At
15 January 2008 at 06:44
I left 2 books in a waiting room at the hospital Wednesday - couldn't see them there when I went back Thursday. Checking bookcrossing site frantically but no 'caught' notification yet! KT
By
LRC, At
18 January 2008 at 08:22
I joined BookCrossing after reading your post and ‘released’ a book on the bus to work the next day. I was riveted by the other passengers’ behaviour (and also felt slightly naughty even though a book isn’t litter). One woman kept turning round to see whether it was still there as if she couldn’t quite believe her eyes. It was eyed up a lot but only one person dared to touch it. It was still on the back seat when I got off and hasn’t been officially ‘caught’ yet.
By
Woolly_Hat, At
21 January 2008 at 08:57
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